Two of the band's singles reached the U.S. top 20 on the Billboard Hot 100: "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" and "Brand New Lover".
"You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" peaked at number one for two weeks in 1985 in the UK, then charted again in 2006 following Burns' appearance on the television reality show Celebrity Big Brother and on season 4 of Stranger Things. It also became the first of two singles to top the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. In December 2016, Billboard ranked them as the 96th most successful "dance artist" of all time. The band was discontinued following Pete Burns' death in 2016.
Something In My House
Dead or Alive Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's four o'clock in the morning
And I'm sitting on my stairs
And there's bangin' 'round the bedroom
Even though I know there's no one there
And I am here all by myself
And you're somewhere else with someone else
There is something in my house, my house
It's just a ghost of the long, long dead affair
There is something in my house, my house
I just keep a hearing, you runnin' on up my stairs but you're not there
I, I, I, I, I, I, I am being haunted
I really gotta say it to ya
Ya showed me a good time
But for every minute that you spent laughin'
There were hours that I cried
And I think about what might have been
If I'd never meant that wicked way
That my heart broke into pieces that midnight on Halloween
There is something in my house, my house
It's just a ghost of the long, long dead affair
There is something in my house, my house
I just keep a hearing, you runnin' on up my stairs but you're not there
It's just a ghost of the long, long dead affair
There is something in my house, my house
But you're not there
I, I, I, I, I, I, I am being haunted
And I am here all by myself
And you're somewhere else with someone else
And I am being haunted by a love that isn't there
There is something in my house, my house
It's just a ghost of the long, long dead affair
There is something in my house, my house
I just keep a hearing, you runnin' on up my stairs but you're not there
It's just a ghost of the long long dead affair
There is something in my house, my house
But you're not there
I am being haunted
I am, I am, I am, I
The lyrics to Dead or Alive's "Something In My House" express feelings of being haunted by a past love affair, even though the relationship is long gone. The singer is awake at four o'clock in the morning, hearing banging noises in their bedroom, knowing that there is no one there. The haunting seems to be triggered by memories of the happy moments spent with their former lover, juxtaposed with the painful moments of heartbreak. The refrain of "there is something in my house" is a metaphor for the lingering presence of the past love affair, which is haunting the singer's thoughts and emotions.
The lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling to move on from the past, and the image of banging noises in the bedroom is a powerful symbol that represents the turmoil and confusion of the singer's emotions. The haunting represents the difficulty of letting go of a past relationship, and the loneliness and pain that can linger even after the relationship has ended. The lyrics also hint at a sense of regret and the idea that the singer wishes things could have been different, that they had never gotten involved in the first place.
Line by Line Meaning
I, I, I, I, I, I, I am being haunted
I feel like I am being tormented
It's four o'clock in the morning
It is very late at night
And I'm sitting on my stairs
I am physically present on the stairs of the house where I am being haunted
And there's bangin' 'round the bedroom
There are loud noises coming from the bedroom that are causing me distress
Even though I know there's no one there
Despite being aware that there is no one else around
And I am here all by myself
I am alone in the house
And you're somewhere else with someone else
The person I care about is with someone else in a different place
And I am being haunted by a love that isn't there
I am overwhelmed by a memory of a love that no longer exists
There is something in my house, my house
I feel a presence in my home
It's just a ghost of the long, long dead affair
This feeling is a remnant of a past romantic relationship
I just keep a hearing, you runnin' on up my stairs but you're not there
I keep imagining hearing my former partner moving upstairs, but I know it is not real
I really gotta say it to ya
I have something to tell you
Ya showed me a good time
You made me happy at times
But for every minute that you spent laughin'
Though there were happy moments, those were few
There were hours that I cried
The majority of the experience was sad and painful
And I think about what might have been
I reflect on what could have happened differently
If I'd never meant that wicked way
If I had not acted in a certain way that I now regret
That my heart broke into pieces that midnight on Halloween
This past event caused me heartbreak and sorrow, which began at midnight on Halloween
But you're not there
You are not present in my current experience or reality
And I am being haunted
I still feel an emotional attachment to the past, causing distress
It's just a ghost of the long, long dead affair
This emotional attachment is just a remnant of the past, not reality
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL DAVID PERCY, PETER JOZZEPI BURNS, STEPHEN COY, TIM LEVER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jason Genova
It's a shame i never knew how great he was until after he passed. Media portrayed him as just a surgery freak who was a one hit wonder and i never knew he was so talented and cleary underrated. I'm 23 and have no shame in saying I've became a fan. Hopefully he's appreciated now for his talents in another realm.
MICHAEL HENICKER
Hedley Fester Never got that One Hit Wonder thing told in the papers. He had so many hits and was a regular on Top of the Pops for years. And he stayed massive in Japan until at least the late 1990s.
Anyway! Do listen to the early Dead or Alive tracks and even his previous band Nightmares in Wax..... So incredible!!!!!!! Pete FOREVER
Floofy_Wolfe
@MICHAEL HENICKER Yeah for Japan and Europe, but was only known as a 'one hit wonder' in the US. He was most likely censored from western audiences because of fear of 'negative influences.'
Daniel Kane
I "discovered" Pete Burns in the mid 1980s on MTV when MTV played music videos. Deep voice, can hold a tune, prettiest man I had ever seen. Decided he was totally mad lol. He would tell the press stuff like he has never worn flats in his entire life.
Marlene Proctor
Dr. Deadpool So sad 😭 he looked so good in the 80's and early 90's Then he got so addicted to plastic surgery like Michael Jackson and both icon greats gone !! Lost great 👍 talent ! I saw him before he passed 2016 doing you spin me around on the big brother stage with every one And he looked awful !
So so sad 😭 RIP Pete Burns
KhayJay
WAIT HE DIED!? I NEVER HEARD ABOUT THAT!
Steven Morris
It really sucks that he isn't known for his talent and was only known as a hit wonder for You Spin Me Round like a record. His other songs are so awesome. That voice is so damn cool.
Pete Burns was a underrated pop legendary singer of the 1980s band Dead Or Alive.
Manuel Tapia
Thats how US portrayed him and his hand, but in Europe, Japan and other parts of the world still succeeded!!!
Ettienne De Villiers
i agree with you brother
he was my idol
Orion Wolfie
i would kill to have new music from this group 😭